Saturday, 30 July 2011

Hypothetical my bottom!

Well, look at this little piece from the Irish Examiner

Speaking on RTÉ’s Liveline programme yesterday, Helen Lucy Burke, who
interviewed Mr Norris for Magill magazine in January 2002, questioned
his suitability for the presidency as a result of the "startling" views
she said he expressed to her in the interview.

In the interview Mr Norris was quoted on his opinion on sexual activity in a historical context.

"In terms of Classic paedophilia, as practiced by the Greeks for
example, where it is an older man introducing a younger man or boy to
adult life, I think there can be something to be said for it. And in
terms of North African experience this is endemic.

"Now again,
this is not something that appeals to me, although when I was younger
it would most certainly have appealed to me in the sense that I would
have greatly relished the prospect of an older, attractive, mature man
taking me under his wing, lovingly introducing me to sexual realities,
and treating me with affection and teaching me about life — yes, I think
that would be lovely; I would have enjoyed that."

He was also quoted on his views as to varying levels of seriousness of abuse.

"In my opinion, the teacher or Christian Brother who puts his hand
into a boy’s pocket during a history lesson, that is one end of the
spectrum. But then there is another, there is the person who attacks
children of either sex, rapes them, brutalises them, and then murders
them. But the way things are presented here it’s almost as if they were
all exactly the same and I don’t think they are. And I have to tell you
this — I think that the children in some instances are more damaged by
the condemnation than by the actual experience."

In a statement, Mr Norris said the quotes were "misleading" and taken "out of context" in what was an academic conversation.

"During the course of a conversation, Ms Burke and I engaged an
academic discussion about Classical Greece and sexual activity in a
historical context; it was a hypothetical, intellectual conversation
which should not have been seen as a considered representation of my
views on some of the issues discussed over dinner.

"The
article did contain other valid comments from me on human rights and
equality issues but the references to sexual activity were what were
emphasised and subsequently picked up and taken out of context in other
media outlets.

"The presentation of references to sexuality in
the article attributed to me were misleading in that they do not convey
the context in which they were made. People should judge me on my
record and actions as a public servant, over the last 35 years and on
the causes and campaigns, for which I have fought, and not on an
academic conversation with a journalist over dinner. I did not ever and
would not approve of the finished article as it appeared."

I don't care what the Greeks used to do, and why they did it. It's still immoral and wrong, and this is a man who persecutes the whole entire Church, because of the extremely unfortunate "crisis", is now being a bloody hypocrite and saying men who have sex with boys is alright. Excuse me, but no, it's not.